Post in A "Dark View" of the $60M School Referendum Proposal

May 17 17:20 UTC

While Wizard and I might disagree on the specific solutions, there is no
disagreement about what the problem is. The problem is, as Wizard states: "In
the end, it still comes down to the same thing: There is not the political will
to educate poor children."

"Michael Atherton says there are structures that are effective". It IS
"demonstrable"! The United States Armed Forces have demonstrated it
successfully for more than fifty years. They take young people with all sorts
of skill levels and in a few weeks bring them to an academic level that allows
them to successfully do more advanced training. Each of their schools starts
with the assumption that many of the "students" are not adequately prepared by
our "High Schools" so they run everyone through those "preparation" classes.

Other groups such as "Charter Schools" have also demonstrated it. The V.O.A.
with their "Study Partner" mentoring programs boost poor children's grades by
two levels. So clearly they know something the Minneapolis Public Schools are
ignoring. Some parochial schools do an admirable job, what is their “secret”.
It is not by faith alone. So Michael is even more correct it is demonstrable on
many levels.

Once we all agree that there is a problem,and that throwing money at a failed
system will not change it, we can begin using those "demonstrable structures"
and designing others.The most "demonstrable" thing about the present "system"
is that it fails a large proportion of our children and does NOT even look for
alternatives.

The bottom line is that we should stop throwing dollars into a system that
fails. If the paid “professionals” cannot fix the problem then hire some others
with better “systems”. We are buying a product, education for our children,
simple as that. If that product is inferior we need to stop “buying” and look
for a better product.

The purpose of education is not to support the teachers’ union and warehouse
children. The purpose of public education is to prepare ALL our children to be
productive members of our society. The emphasis is on ALL, no matter what
societal or physical handicap they may have. It is not the fault of the child
that he or she was born with a physical handicap or the handicap of a
dysfunctional family. It IS the fault of the system if it does not give him or
her the basic tools needed to reach their potential. That IS what they are
spending MY, and YOUR, tax dollars to get. I want a better product – not a more
expensive
 product.

Jim Graham,
Ventura Village

"We measure the quality of our community by the way we provide for our
children, our elders and our handicapped. It should beour intent to build
community by laying a foundation on such principles and to organize its
structure to guarantee the safety and happiness of our most vulnerable."